History of Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is an infection caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis. Its name comes from the “whooping” sound that sometimes happens at the end of a cough as a person tries to take a breath. Whooping cough can easily be passed from one person to another. That’s why it’s important to get the whooping cough vaccination.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis after the organism that causes the illness, comes and goes in countries around the world. Every few years, pertussis makes large groups of people sick if they haven’t been vaccinated recently. Breathing in the whooping cough germ after someone coughs or sneezes can spread the illness.

The whooping cough germ was first isolated in 1906. Since then, doctors and organizations have worked to keep the illness from making large numbers of children and adults sick. Parents do their part by taking their children to get the vaccination, and children do theirs by cooperating.

Vaccination Benefits

The vaccine protects you from getting the infection and spreading it to others. This is one important way of keeping large groups of people from getting very sick. Vaccines do not last forever, so getting a new vaccination when your doctor says you need it can help you avoid becoming sick and spreading whooping cough to your friends, family and others.

Want to know what whooping cough sounds like? Click the button below to hear the cough.